An optical fiber cable and an optical module such as a receiver and a transmitter or the other optical fiber cable are connected via an adapter (including a so-called receptacle), and a plug to be connected to the adapter is provided at a terminal part of the optical fiber cable. As the plug, a plug has been known which includes in general a latch to be engaged to the adapter and an operation member for releasing an engaging state between the latch and the adapter.
A connector (plug) disclosed in JP-A-H09-113762 includes a trigger as the operation member. The latch extends from a plug end of the connector to be inserted into a jack socket (adapter) toward an opposite cable entry end, and a fixed end of the plug end-side is fixed to an outer surface of the connector, and a free end of the cable entry end-side is configured to be vertically moveable with respect to the outer surface of the connector. The trigger extends from the cable entry end of the connector toward the plug end, and a fixed end of the cable entry end-side is fixed to the outer surface of the connector, and a free end of the plug end-side is configured to be vertically moveable with respect to the outer surface of the connector. The free end of the trigger is disposed on the free end of the latch. When the trigger is pushed down toward the outer surface of the connector, the free end of the trigger and the free end of the latch are engaged with each other, so that the latch is also pushed down toward the outer surface of the connector. The latch is pushed down, so that the engaged state of the latch is released.
An optical connector assembly (plug) disclosed in JP-A-2001-141961 includes a housing as the operation member. The latch extends with being inclined so that it is gradually spaced from an outer surface of an optical connector plug from a tip end portion of the optical connector plug toward a rear end portion. The optical connector plug is inserted in a plug insertion hole formed in the housing, and the housing is supported to the optical connector plug so as to be moveable from the tip end portion of the optical connector plug toward the rear end portion. When the housing is pulled toward the rear end portion of the optical connector plug, the latch is pushed down toward the outer surface of the optical connector plug via a latch release member between the housing and the latch. The latch is pushed down, so that the engaged state of the latch is released.
As the plug in which the engaged state of the latch is released by a pulling operation for the operation member, an optical connector plug disclosed in JP-A-2009-229545, a plug connector disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,221,007, and an optical fiber connector disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,899,845 have been also known.